A Green Christmas
by flickerfiresprite
Summary: Flicker the firesprite has always been a fan of Christmas, despite his natural affinity for heat, but has never quite been able to find someone willing to share a warm Christmas with him over a cold one. Finally, he turns to his boss, Heat Miser, and tries to get him into the spirit of a green Christmas, but instead soon finds himself caught in the center of a neverending debate.
1. Shaping Glass

The setting sun had shone bright upon the sea of sand, bringing empty, dry air, dousing each pebble in burning heat, and altogether challenging the very soul of Winter that coated so much of the current world around the desert in snow. Yet, for Flicker, the desert was the perfect place to ring in the holiday season

Like a drop from the sun itself, the firesprite flew in from the sky. He chilled a hand to a red ember, then scooped a handful of sand from the ground. Flicker brought the temperature up, from red, to orange, to yellow, to white, until the sand melted into an orange ooze. He then toned down his fiery hands, and took the bright blob between then, twisting and spinning it until it began to form into a hollow corkscrew. The firesprite soared into the cold evening air, up into the stratosphere, giving his creation a chance to cool. Then, only after checking to make sure the new glass would hold its form, he returned to the sand to begin the process again...

...Just as it seemed with every Winter, it was a losing battle. Snow Miser had sent flurries all over his own Northern territories, and the snow had begun to seep deeper toward the South as temperatures across the country went cold. Heat Miser could see him now, laughing at his own jokes, babbling on about how _easy_ it all was. Of course, following the _incident_ a few years earlier, the two had learned to find support for each other and put their differences aside when necessary, that didn't mean it was any easier to tolerate the Tutti Frutti Snowcone every other day of his life.

Heat sighed. It seemed that all he had done since the end of the summer solstice was direct minions and battle his brother. He shut his eyes, drifting away to a sandy beach on a paradise island, surrounded by the green of palm trees and the gentle sound of warm water lapping against the shore. For a moment, he'd nearly forgotten his troubles, until-

"Heat! Hey, Heat!" Someone tapped at his forehead. With a grumble, he pushed the insistent hand away, opening his eyes to see Flicker peering down at him from the top of his throne. "Not like you to be sleeping on the job. Everything alright?"

"I wasn't sleeping," Heat stated, "I was just...thinking."

"...Sure." Flicker rolled his eyes. Heat swore that sometimes the firesprite was as intolerable as Snow. "Anywho-" Flicker jumped from the throne to the floor before it- "Guess what day it is!"

"Tuesday."

"I mean, yeah, but it's also December first! Which means, it is officially, the month of Christmas!" Flicker sent out a series of sparks in an imitation of confetti.

"...Isn't it a little early to be celebrating?" Heat raised a brow.

"Well- it's just- it's just that, I know you always have your little celebration with Snow on Christmas already, and you're really busy what with the winter solstice coming and all, but I was hoping that, this year, maybe we could do something? Just one activity? A little one?"

Heat stared through the firesprite for a moment. It was clear to anyone that he was certainly not the biggest fan of Christmas. Of course, he had found an appreciation for the celebration of friends and family it brought, but the rest of the holiday was so deeply entrapped in the idea of a "White Christmas," and there was only so much of that he could handle. "And what are we supposed to do? Build a snowman? Go ice skating?" He responded.

"Nice guesses, but no cake. We're gonna- well, uh, let me just show you-" and with that Flicker flew off through the winding hallways of the volcano.

Heat let out a sigh. It was difficult enough to set time aside on Christmas. The season was far too busy to even think of trudging about in the snow.

Flicker flew back into the room, carrying a light tray carved from rock. Atop the tray stood five small works of glass, each in a variety of shapes, from a corkscrew, to a star, to a classic sphere. "Look- I made some already. A little heat and a little molding and ya got yourself a swell Christmas ornament! I figured we could make some more, or, uh, just decorate these if you're not feeling up to it." The firesprite turned to face a corner of the room. "We could set up a nice green Christmas tree right over there and stick 'em all on it." He turned back to Heat with a small smile. "I mean, if you want to."

Heat's gaze flicked between the ornaments and the firesprite's hopeful smile a couple times. On one hand, he was truly busy, but on the other, he was itching to try his hand at this type of Christmas. Perhaps, it wasn't just snowball fights and snowmen after all. Finally, he leaned back. "Alright." He figured it couldn't hurt to take an hour or so's break.

Flicker beamed a bright tint of white. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Heat pointed to one of his minions. "Sparks, you're in charge for now." Sparks responded with a smile and a salute, then immediately went about directing the others.

"Come on- I gotta show ya something-" and with that, Flicker dashed back down the hall. Heat followed after the firesprite, sparing a glance at the control room and pondering whether he had made the right decision.


	2. A Heated Conversation

Heat followed the firesprite down the hallway until they arrived at the door to Flicker's room.

"Wait here just a moment." Flicker said, before slipping through the crack under the door. Momentarily, after a bit of shuffling, the door opened, and Flicker welcomed Heat into his room.

Heat had rarely visited the room since its creation. Some renovation had to be expected, of course, but what came as a surprise to the elemental was the addition of Christmas decorations. In the corner stood a little tree, clothed in glowing multicolored lights and a couple of decorative glass ornaments, and topped with a bright white star. Bordering the room's ceiling were multicolored lights that dipped up and down as they traveled the length of the walls. Even the fireplace, the only survivor of the room's original layout, held a single stocking above its maw.

It was all harmless, even a bit charming, except for the window across the room, which gave a full view of Snow Miser's lair just across the way.

Flicker flew to the fireplace and set it alight with a hand, then picked up a mug from atop the opening and heated it to a boil in his hands. He handed the mug of hot chocolate to Heat, then returned to the fireplace to heat another pre-prepared mug for himself.

"You've certainly gotten into the Christmas spirit, haven't you?" Heat looked up from his mug to the firesprite.

"It's hard not to." Flicker grinned, then took a sip from his own mug. The hot chocolate turned to steam as soon as it hit him.

"It must be with all this around." Heat gestured to the room around them, then took a sip from his mug, sparing a glance at the window.

"Yeah, I-" Flicker followed Heat's eyes, cutting himself short when they landed on the window. "Oh- I can close that- I just-"

"No. I suppose it wouldn't be Christmas without snow." Heat muttered, glancing away.

"Of course not- lots of people celebrate Christmas without snow! You know that more than anyone!"

"And all they ever wish for all Christmas season is for it to snow." He tapped his mug.

"I'm sure not everyone does that. And that isn't at all why this is here." Flicker flew to the window. "It- it makes me happy that I can be in here. I'm sure most people are sure it would be miserable to be out in the snow _all_ the time. Nobody would like heat if it was hot all the time- well- what I mean- it's that- snow helps me remember just how nice warmth is. It makes all of this-" he gestured to the fire and the mugs of cocoa- "seem so much nicer." Flicker finished with a smile.

Heat didn't reply for a moment. He simply stared into his hot chocolate. Mother had always told them they had to coexist. Was this what she meant? He continued tapping his mug. If it was as simple as that then he should have figured it out ages ago. Maybe he would've- his tapping slowed- if he and Snow had done more talking and less fighting. No, that wasn't all his fault, his brother had always just continued pushing his buttons. Just like every Winter. Snow wouldn't stop pushing. Heat began tapping faster. The hot chocolate came to a boil again. Maybe if Snow could just back off-

"Heat? You okay?" Flicker's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"...Yes. I'm fine." Heat answered. This wasn't the time to be thinking about that anyhow. "You- you can close the window."

"Alright." Flicker pulled a blind in front of the window, then retired in front of the fireplace. Heat sat next to the firesprite, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. Flicker set down his mug, then pulled a bucket of sand from the side of the fireplace to in-between them. "...I probably should've closed that earlier. I- I wasn't- I didn't mean to stress you out any more." He took a scoop of sand and shifted it in his hands.

"No, that wasn't _your_ fault." Heat set aside his mug, then took a handful of sand and melted it to glass. Skillfully, he began to mold it into a small flame. " _He's_ the one who's always putting all his effort into making _my_ life more stressful." The glass flame melted in Heat's hands.

Flicker glanced aside. "Well, isn't Summer for him what Winter is for you?"

"Well- but- it's different- Summer is-" Heat grasped.

"-probably a big stress for Snow." Flicker finished for him. He melted the sand in his hands and begun to carefully spin it into the shape of an icicle. "Well- what I mean is, maybe it would be easier to get along if you guys just talked?"

"We've _tried_ that, and what we figured out is that we can't stand more than a day's time near each other." Heat began to shape his glass again.

"And that's okay." Flicker set aside his ornament to cool. "You don't have to be friends just because you're brothers. But I think it might just help you guys relax if you just take, I don't know, an hour to talk things out. What if- say you guys agree that you'll give him some south in the Winter-"

"LET HIM TAKE THE SOUTH?" Heat boomed, his glass flame melting again.

Flicker floated back. "Nonono- of course not- just, a bit of it- I mean, he'd take it anyway- he's got the season on his side. I just mean, instead of stressing yourself out fighting it, why not just make sure he keeps his word on only taking a little more south by saying you'll only take the same amount of north during the Summer so he won't have to stress about that. Keep it fair and even."

"Well if you want to negotiate then _you_ talk to him."

"That's not-"

Heat brought up a hand to silence the firesprite. Flicker watched as the elemental shaped the glass into a flame one last time, then handed the ornament off to him. "...I think I'm done for now."

"Do you- do you think we can try this again sometime?" Flicker looked down at the ornament, then back up at Heat, who was already nearly out of the room.

Heat paused a moment. "Maybe, at a better time." And with that, he was out the door.

Flicker frowned at the flame ornament. He took ahold of the glass icicle he had molded earlier, then flew to the tree and delicately placed each ornament on its branches with a sigh.


	3. Catching Up

Flicker may have visited the lair of Snow Miser more often than Heat, but the bar was set low for that already. It didn't help that his occasional meetings with Jack Frost tended to occur on the border between North and South rather than at either of their own home bases, so he never had much reason to visit. Slowly as he neared the icy fortress, the arid heat turned to rain, then to snow, which converted to steam as soon as it hit the firesprite. Flicker went from a flaming orange to an ember red, doused by the cool surroundings.

A claustrophobic feeling swelled up in Flicker as the drawbridge loomed before him. Two of Snow's "mini-misers" stood on either side of the gate. They glanced to the firesprite, one's usually stoic face betraying a bit of surprise.

"Uh, don't suppose Snow has time to talk today?" Flicker asked. The guards glanced at each other. Snow did have the season on his side, after all, Flicker figured his schedule would be more open than Heat's. One of the guards tapped the walls of the fortress.

 _Shave-and-a-hair-cut._

A cue to chew the scenery. This ought to be entertaining. A tap returned from inside.

 _Two-bits._

The two guards lowered the drawbridge for Flicker to pass through. From the opening of the doors to the number ending with Snow seated in his throne, it was a wild ride that Flicker rarely got to experience, only as a spectator when the occasional infrequent visitor arrived to Heat's lair. By the end of it, he'd felt his worries melt away, something Snow was always strangely wonderful at.

"Flicker! Had a busy wildfire season, sugarplum? You should visit more often, might teach you to cool it." The elemental said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that uh- it's been getting a bit out of hand. You're just trying to clear a little bit of underbrush and, well, sometimes it just keeps going y'know?" Flicker sheepishly shrugged, turning a deeper shade of red. It was true — the changing climate had made it more difficult to control the fires once they began.

"I'd cool it off for you but my brother would blow a fuse. Speak of the devil, I'm guessing he's the one who sent you here?"

"Kind of. I came here to uh, talk about him. To you." Flicker said.

"Not how I'd usually choose to spend such a nice Winter day," Snow pondered, "but it must be important for you to come out here." Before Flicker could answer, he continued, "Speaking of it, you should come over sometime off work, I'd show you more fun than that hothead ever could." He laughed again.

"Oh no- I'm sure I'd just melt everything."

"With me around? You wouldn't melt a speck of frost." Snow replied.

"Sure enough, but, uh, I think we're forgetting what I'm here about _today_. Your- your brother?" Flicker changed the subject back.

"...Yes, of course, him." Snow's smile grew somewhat forced.

"I just think you guys should- should talk to each other more?" Flicker said.

"Oh, sugarplum, we talk all the time."

"No- I mean like, actually talk to each other. Negotiate. Compromise. I think it might make things easier on the both of you?" Flicker explained.

"Compromise, with that hothead?" Snow let out a dumbfounded chuckle. "No can do. I couldn't get a word in with him before he'd start sending fireballs my way."

"Well, have you ever tried?"

"Now what's got you so set on this, Flicker?" Snow suddenly said.

Flicker stared up at the elemental for a moment. "Me- I- I told you, I think it'd just make things easier for you guys. I mean- Heat's really stressed- and I'm sure you get really stressed in Summer, so-"

"I know that, but what got you thinking about that in the first place?" Snow smiled.

"I.."

"I've just can't remember you ever being so worried about us this way before."

"I- I just-" Flicker sighed, then mumbled, just barely under his breath.

"Speak up, sugarplum." Snow flashed him an encouraging smile.

"I just...really wanted to celebrate Christmas with somebody. But- Heat's always so busy and stressed- I thought-"

Snow's smile instantly grew into a grin. "Well why didn't you just come over here? I'd show you a _real_ Christmas celebration! Much better than that flaming fool could!"

"No- I know- but- I mean- like a green Christmas- staying indoors, drinking cocoa, chestnuts roasting on an open fire- and nobody wants that. Nobody likes that. Except Heat." Flicker glanced aside. "And I'd be lucky if he ever decides to give it another chance."

Snow paused for a moment, thinking to himself, then broke the silence, clapping his hands together in a spark of frost. "Alright, sugarplum, just for you. I'll give talking talking to my brother an ice solid try-" Flicker looked up, flaming up to an orange hue- "if you're willing to give a White Christmas a try."

Flicker immediately went back to an ember red. "I- I'm not sure if that's so good of an idea-" He replied with an awkward smile.

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it." Snow said with a smile and a shrug, leaning back.

Flicker took a moment, weighing his options, then sighed. Maybe there'd be some fun in it. "...alright."

"Totally cool, sugarplum," Snow shot the firesprite a friendly fingergun as he stood from his throne, "now, let's give that brother of mine a call."


	4. Negotiations

One of Snow's mini-misers rolled out corded telephone across the icy floor. Snow beckoned to the phone and sent Flicker a friendly smile. Flicker wrapped a fiery hand around the phone. When it wouldn't budge, he upped the temperature, melting the cover of ice that had held the phone to its stand. Lifting it to the side of his head, Flicker listener to the phone's steady ring until finally, a sheet of ice across the wall shifted to reveal Heat as he answered.

"What do you want this time, you-" Heat cut himself short as he took notice of Flicker. "-Flicker? What are you up to over there?"

"Well, uh, you said that if I wanted to negotiate then I should talk to Snow, so, um, I'm negotiating?" Flicker said with an awkward shrug.

"I didn't _mean_ to actually-" Heat brought a hand to his temple and sighed. "...What is it then?"

"Well, Snow said he'd try talking to you for once-" Flicker began.

"I'm not going to waste time dealing with that drippy snowman." Heat crossed his arms.

"Told ya he wouldn't do it." Snow shrugged.

"Well he can't agree to things with you to me!" Flicker said. The brothers took a moment to process this sentence.

"-well, did it ever occur to you that maybe I _don't want_ to agree with him?" Heat countered.

"Woah, woah, hold it. I never said I'd agree with Hothead over here, just that I'd talk to him." Snow added.

"Who you calling hothead?" Heat snapped.

"You, Hothead." Snow confirmed with a smirk.

"Agh- you-" Heat growled, "You wanna talk, Snowball? Then talk to the hand!" With a pointed finger, he sent a stream of fire through the wall and directly at Snow, who countered with a ray of frost from a fingergun.

"WILL YOU TWO JUST STOP?" Flicker shouted in a burst of flame, causing the elementals to cease their fighting. Snow stepped back out of the puddle of water that had formed from the now-melting icy floor following Flicker's flare-up. "...uh, sorry about that." Flicker gave Snow a nervous smile as he turned back to an ember red. "But- this is what I mean- you guys never actually _talk._ You always just fight. You don't have to like each other but it might be easier if you actually, well, talked about temperature and business." He finished.

The brothers stood in silence for a moment, then glared at each other, then away, then glanced back. This went on for a bit as one of Snow's mini-misers froze the floor back up. Finally, Heat spoke up. "Brother?"

"Yes?" Snow glanced back again. Silence, for a while.

"Let's... talk."

"Cool." Snow answered. The two stood for a while, glancing at each other now and then, until eventually they both glanced at Flicker.

"...uh, tell him how you feel?" Flicker glanced back at Heat.

"Oh I'll tell him how I feel-" Heat said, his hand going aflame. Snow brought up an icy fist.

"No- not like that- how about- how you feel during the Winter- and during the Summer." Flicker quickly said.

"Summer is my favorite time of year!"

"-Winter is my favorite time of year!"

The brothers instantly glared at each other. "...and uh, vice versa?" Flicker added.

"Winter is infuriating, you-" Heat pointed to Snow- "you never just back off during Winter, do you? Do you have any idea how much _harder_ I have to work to fight you in Winter? And you just keep taking more anyway, it's unbearable!"

"Well you do just the same thing in Summer- melting all my snow and ice as fast as you can so you can go lounge on some beach as _I_ have to work twice as hard just to keep your global warming from melting the polar icecaps!" Snow snapped in return.

"Who's to say you're not lounging around in Winter? You're always sneaking down to the ground, going ice-skating and making snowmen with humans while I'm hard at work. Winter's your break!"

"And Summer's yours!"

"So you agree, Summer's mine?" Heat said.

"As long as Winter's mine." Snow replied.

"Keep your lousy Winter."

"And you your blistering Summer."

"Agreed?"

"Agreed." Snow answered. And with that, Heat shut off the call.

"...what just happened?" Flicker mumbled.

"We...agreed." Snow said, glancing upward in thought.

"You- you guys just agreed on something that was already happening- what-"

"Well, we talked, didn't we, Sugarplum?" Snow replied with a smile and a shrug. "That's what you wanted."

"Well- no- I mean, I guess yeah, but-" Flicker stumbled.

"Why don't you just leave it to us, Flicker." Snow suggested. "It's not your job, after all." He said with a smile.

"I...I guess that's right."

"No need to waste all that energy of yours meddling. It'll only get you heated up, and where we're headed, you're gonna wanna cool off." Snow said with a chuckle.

"Where we're headed?" Flicker tilted his head.

"I figure you're not too busy, having the time to come over and involve yourself in my and the hothead's business, so why not go right on ahead with that little White Christmas we're gonna have while you're already here." Snow proposed.

"Oh, that's swell and all, but, uh, I should probably go check on Heat- after the call and all." Flicker said with an awkward smile.

"As much as I'd love to send you off to go bug Hotcakes over there, I think he needs his space." Snow smiled in return. "In the meantime, I'll show you a _real_ winter wonderland!"


End file.
